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After listening to Lu Man’s words, Xing and Xiao Xi both giggled exaggeratedly. Mama Duan also chuckled, “Third Young Madam Jiang is absolutely right.”
Miss Xia and Shu Mingwei were so angry that they pulled their handkerchiefs but didn’t dare to confront them, as they were indeed both thinking about becoming stepmothers to others.
Lu Man was very upset. People like Shu Mingwei, if they became Jiang Yue’s stepmother, would be even more cruel than Snow White’s stepmother. Regardless, no stepmother could compare to one’s own mother. She couldn’t bear to let another woman mistreat her beloved daughter.
In ancient times, unlike modern times, divorced modern people can still visit their children regularly or have them live with them for a period. If a stepmother is found to be abusive, legal action can be taken, changing custody and even sending the stepmother to prison.
But in ancient times, if a woman was divorced, she and her child were like a kite with a broken string, no longer connected. Her current close relationship with He Mingzhu was because she married into a good family, beyond the reach of the Lu family.
Lu Man suddenly didn’t want to leave Jiang Zhanwei anymore. Even if they had different dreams, even if Jiang Zhanwei had other thoughts, she didn’t want to leave. If she had to leave, it would only be if she took Jiang Yue with her. If she couldn’t take her, she would wait until Jiang Yue grew up, got married, and then consider leaving.
Besides, she was now intricately tied to the interests of Princess Changting’s residence and knew some core secrets. Even if Jiang Zhanwei achieved great success and returned, she didn’t want to leave, and he wouldn’t dare force her to leave.
Thinking that she might one day cling to marriage like some women in her past life, implementing a “dragging” tactic, she felt sorry and ashamed for herself. But having a child meant having ties, and one couldn’t act as freely as a single person…
Song Mo’s voice interrupted Lu Man’s thoughts, “Sister-in-law, that aunt Xia wants to be my stepmother. I heard Grandma say it, but my father doesn’t like it.”
The little guy was really smart, knowing about this matter too.
Lu Man mischievously said, “With her, she might actually harm you. Remember, even if your father agrees, you must never agree, and in the future, keep your distance from her.”
She felt a bit embarrassed teaching the little one this way. But Xia’s character was truly bad. If she became Song Mo’s stepmother, she would definitely compete with the other concubines.
Song Mo nodded solemnly and said, “Yes, I’ll remember.”
They arrived at the teahouse across the street, where Song Ming was already waiting with the servants at the teahouse entrance.
Seeing Lu Man’s unhappy expression, Song Ming asked, “What’s wrong, did Mo make his Sister-in-law angry?”
Song Mo quickly denied, “Father, I didn’t make Sister-in-law angry. It was that lady Xia who wants to be my stepmother, she made Sister-in-law angry.”
Song Ming’s face reddened, frowning as he scolded, “Child, don’t talk nonsense.”
Song Mo pouted, “I’m not talking nonsense, it’s true.” He reminded, “Father, that lady Xia is not good, she might harm me, I don’t want her as my stepmother…”
Song Ming hastily interrupted, “Stop, people will laugh at us if they hear.”
His tone was gentle, nothing like a traditional father.
Seeing Song Ming like this, Lu Man suddenly felt a bit envious of Song Mo. Although he unfortunately lost his own mother early, his father was truly good, a kind father who wouldn’t bring in a stepmother just for the sake of it.
She explained with a smile, “Just now, we met lady Xia and lady Shu, lady Xia wanted to take Mo to her carriage to see somethings, but I felt it wasn’t right to let him go, so I thought it best to hand the child over to the Prince first. But lady Xia was insistent…”
She didn’t continue, but her eyes had already shed the necessary tears.
Song Ming understood Xia’s intentions and hearing her with Second lady Shu, he guessed that they might have said something unpleasant to Lu Man, causing her anger.
He quickly smiled, “Third Young Lady did the right thing. Mo is young and shouldn’t just be taken away by anyone.”
His smile was warm and gentle, like the sun in spring.
Lu Man felt a twinge of regret in her heart. If this were in her past life, someone with Song Ming’s character would have been the perfect best friend or confidante. He was loyal, genuinely helpful to friends, and being around him was completely stress-free. But this was ancient times, where even speaking to each other required caution due to the gender norms.
Lu Man smiled and said, “Prince, don’t blame me for being meddlesome, let Mo be the one to offend if anyone.”
Song Ming waved his hand and chuckled, “No blame, no blame.” He then pointed to a servant holding a large package and said with a smile, “I had some snacks and toys bought for Mo just now, and also got some for little Yue and Jiu.”
Lu Man thanked him as Xing stepped forward to take them.
After exchanging farewells, Lu Man boarded the carriage. She lifted the curtain and noticed Xia walking up to Song Ming, seemingly explaining something. Song Ming’s face turned slightly serious, paying her little attention, hastily getting on the carriage with Song Mo.
Lu Man thought that although Xia was annoying, her insights were quite accurate. Regardless of which woman married Song Ming, as long as they had no ulterior motives, they would be happy. But the prerequisite was having no ulterior motives, if any deceit was discovered by Song Ming, he could be ruthless.
In some aspects, Song Ming was somewhat like Jiang Zhanwei—both astute, capable, good-looking, and intelligent. The difference was that Song Ming was gentle, courteous, smooth, seen as a good man by all. On the other hand, Jiang Zhanwei was rebellious, aloof, stubborn, and most people didn’t like him.
Of course, except for Shu Mingwei. However, her interest in Jiang Zhanwei wasn’t about his character but his future prospects.
Lu Man coldly snorted in her heart, looking forward to the day when Jiang Zhanwei would return to divorce his wife. She would just wait patiently. She had been with this body for years, now seventeen, and she would let herself age into an old lady, a haggard woman, until the day she and Jiang Zhanwei truly divorced, knowing that he would no longer look at her.
As she got off the carriage at the gate of Donghui Courtyard, Deputy Steward Wang Dabo approached, saying, “Third Young Madam, Master Lu has arrived.”
Lu Xin had only visited once on the second day of the Lunar New Year to accompany Lu Man and He Cheng back to their maternal home, where Lu Man and her siblings made excuses to decline. She wondered why he had come today.
Lu Man went straight to the front courtyard wing, where Lu Xin stood up and smiled, “Second sister.”
Dressed in a blue-green long robe with a green scholar’s headscarf, he stood tall and elegant, exuding a scholarly aura.
Lu Man asked, “What brings Master Lu here?”
Lu Xin didn’t find Lu Man’s question unreasonable and smiled, “Well, I, your brother, did not perform well. I ranked 162nd in the palace examination. Although it was towards the end, our family was still overjoyed. In three days, we will have a banquet at home. Grandmother and my father asked me to invite my second sister and younger brother Cheng to join us. If Auntie… oh, sorry, if Lady He can also come, that would be even better.”
With that, he handed over two notes—one for Lu Man and one for He Cheng.
Lu Man took the notes, glanced at Lu Xin, who was just twenty this year, quite rare for someone his age to pass the imperial examination. It was like Jiang Zhanwei’s younger brother, who didn’t even pass the provincial examination last year and had to rely on his status as a supervised student to find a vacant position.